Gramophone record sleeves



Oct. 3, 1967 N. .J. GARROD 3,344,978

GRAMOPHONE RECORD SLEEVES Filed Aug. 5, 1966 //V VE/ TOR Norma/7 Jo/m Gar/"0&

6 1477 ORA/E Y5 United States Patent 3,344,978 GRAMOPHONE RECORD SLEEVES Norman John Garrod, 107 Westhall Road, Warlingham, Surrey, England Filed Aug. 5, 1966, Ser. No. 574,884 6 Claims. (Cl. 229-68) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A gramophone record sleeve made out of separate back and front core sheets, at least the corresponding pair of sheet edges opposite the sleeve opening are formed with inturned flaps which overlap to provide a spine of at least double sheet thickness, one of the flaps extending further inwardly so as to provide a U-shaped channel.

This invention relates to gramophone record sleeves and is more particularly concerned with the construction of spines in such sleeves.

According to the present invention in a more general aspect, there is provided a gramophone record sleeve in which the two side members of the sleeve have respective spine portions extending integrally from and along each of a pair of corresponding edges thereof, one such portion being folded to generally U-shaped channel form and the other such portion being folded to overlap the channel at least over one U-arm and the U-base thereof.

More particularly, the channel is provided by folding the spine portion of one side member inwardly of the sleeve along the relevant edge and again folding the same inwardly along a line parallel to and spaced from such edge. In effect, the channel is defined by the side member adjacent the edge, a spine member and what can be regarded as a spine flap member. The other side member has its spine portion folded inwardly in similar manner at least to the extent of providing a spine member of substantially the same width as that of the one side member. However, this spine portion can also be folded a second time to provide a spine flap member, and thereby another channel.

In any event, the spine portion of said other side member is overlapped around that of the one side member and the portions are secured at least in the region of the outer spine portion remote from its side member.

The outer spine portion of the overlapped such portions will normally be integral with the front side member of the sleeve. Also, the spine construction of the present invention will normally be employed for the sleeve edge opposite to the edge which is open for record access, but such construction can be equally well employed on other, or all, non-opening sides of the sleeve.

For a clearer understanding of the present invention, the same will now be more fully described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates, in section, one embodiment of spine construction according to the invention,

FIGURE 2 similarly illustrates another such embodiment, and

FIGURE 3 illustrates, again in similar manner, a yet further such embodiment.

In FIGURE 1 the side members of the sleeve are denoted as and 11, these members respectively constituting the front and rear sides of the sleeve. At the base edge 12 of the sleeve, namely that opposite the open edge 13, the rear side members 11 has a spine portion folded inwardly of the sleeve, substantially perpendicularly to the side member itself, along line 14 to provide a spine member 15. This spine member is of uniform width terminating at a line 16 whereat the relevant spine portion is 3,344,978 Patented Oct. 3, 1967 again folded inwardly of the sleeve, substantially parallel to the rear side member, to provide a spine flap member 17 having a width of similar order to that of spine member 16 relative to the sleeve dimensions.

The base edge end of the front side member 10 is engaged with the outer surface of spine flap member 17 and has its relevant edge aligned with the fold at line 16. Then, in turn, the front side member has a spine portion folded inwardly of the sleeve, substantially perpendicularly to the side member itself, along line 18 to provide a spine member 19 engaged with the similar member 15. Spine member 19 is of substantially equal width to spine member 15 and terminates in the plane of the outer surface of the rear side member 11, or at least in such manner as to form a smooth outer surface for the rear side member and at its edge with the spine structure.

In practice the spine members 15 and 19 are mutually secured, such as by adhesive, in an overlapped disposi tion illustrated by FIGURE 1 and as just described. The spine flap portion 17 may also be similarly secured with the front side member 10, but this is not essential and may be undesirable in practice, dependent on the sequence of sleeve construction steps employed. Thus, if the side members are to be secured through the spine portions before folding, it will normally be preferable to omit the additional securing to facilitate folding along lines 16, 18. By the same token, the additional securement should present no disadvantage in the case when securement is effected after, or even during, folding.

Regarding the remaining pairs of corresponding nonopening side member edges, these may be interconnected in any convenient manner but, for convenience, such connection is illustrated as being by way of the spine construction shown in section. Any adjacent end edges of successive flap members should preferably be mitred, or arranged for similar butting engagement.

Considering the practical advantages of the spine construction of FIGURE 1, this provides a strong and stiff spine construction, with the spine proper being reinforced as a two-layer structure. This is of relevance in that the base edge of a sleeve is most likely to suffer damage in use by repeated extraction and insertion of a record, with consequent impact of the record edge on the spine interior. At the same time, the sleeve has a smooth exterior apart from any overlapping which may arise in association with relatively thin outer cover sheets as sometimes applied separately with varying printed and illustrated matter. This feature is particularly significant for the front side member and spine regions since such member is frequently provided with a protective plastics material coating passing around the non-opening edges, and such coating can be damaged or deteriorated more easily if it overlies abrupt discontinuities.

FIGURE 2 illustrates a modification of the embodiment of FIGURE 1 in that the outer spine member 19 is also provided with a spine flap member 20 extending integrally from and along the outer longitudinal edge of the former. The spine flap member 20 is folded along a line 21, as shown, substantially parallel and in engagement with the outer surface of the rear side member 11.

The same considerations for securement, although it will probably be preferred that the spine construction be formed with spine members 15 and 19 directly secured. Also, the same considerations as to use of mitred or similarly butted configurations for adjacent end edges of the additional spine flap members where more than one edge has the construction of FIGURE 2.

As to practical advantages, the construction of FIG- URE 2 can naturally be stronger than that of FIGURE 1 with other factors equal, but the sleeve exterior does not have the same degree of smoothness. However, the sleeve exterior over the front side member and around the spine is still smooth and this is the area over which it is more usual to provide a protective coating. To illustrate this last point, FIGURE 2 additionally shows a rear cover sheet 22 secured to the area of the rear side member between spine fiap portions a front cover sheet 23 secured over the front side member, spine members 19 and spine flap members 21, while overlapping on to the rear cover sheet periphery; and a protective plastics material coating 24 over the front cover sheet apart from its peripheral regions overlapping the rear cover sheet.

Regarding formation of the requisite folded members from suitable blanks of cardboard or like relatively stiff materials, reference may be made to my Patent No. 3,307,772 which discloses inter alia, a gramophone record sleeve having a reinforced spine formed by doubling back a portion extending integrally from and along an edge of one side member. In fact, the features of said patent can be employed in association with the present invention to provide a high strength spine construction which is doubly reinforced at least in part.

FIGURE 3 illustrates one embodiment of such doubly reinforced spine construction which in fact employs What can be regarded as the maximum number of spine and spine flap members or portions. This embodiment can be seen as a development from that of FIGURE 2, with the rear side member spine portion being further extended, doubled back at line 25 and folded at lines 26 and 27 to provide reinforcement members 28, 29 and 30, as shown. Clearly this embodiment can be varied in different ways, such as to provide a smooth exterior by omission of member 20 while still providing a double reinforced spine, and/or the doubled back reinforcement can extend to a lesser extent transversely of the structure than that illustrated.

I claim:

1. A gramophone record sleeve having two side members, each of said side members having a spine portion extending integrally from and along each of a pair of corresponding edges thereof opposite the sleeve opening, a first said spine portion having folds along lines parallel with said side edges to form a generally U-shaped channel portion having a U-base and a U-arm, and a second said spine portion having a portion folded to overlap and engage at least one U-arm and the U-base of the channel portion of said first spine portion, said spine portions being directly secured to one another at least over said U-base.

2. A gramophone record sleeve according to claim 1, in which said second spine portion has portions folded along lines parallel with said side edges to form a generally U-shaped channel portion to nest with and engage the Ushaped channel portion of said first spine portion.

3. A sleeve according to claim 1, wherein said pair of corresponding edges are opposite the opening edge of the sleeve.

4. A sleeve according to claim 1, wherein said first spine portion has portions folded to double back on itself to reinforce its channel portion at least in part transversely thereof.

5. A sleeve according to claim 1 wherein each nonopening edge of the sleeve has spines formed by U-shaped channel portions on one side member overlapping and engaging a folded portion of the other side member.

6. A sleeve according to claim 5 wherein the end edges of said spine portions are partly mitred or otherwise adapted to provide substantially butting engagement between adjacent such edges respectively associated with successive edges of the sleeve.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,986,325 5/1961 Loderhose 229-68 3,061,086 10/1962 Smiler 206-62 3,116,870 1/1964 Garrod 229-68 3,162,356 12/1964 Triolo 229-68 3,232,423 2/ 1966 Smiler 229-- JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Examiner. 

1. A GRAMOPHONE RECORD SLEEVE HAVING TWO SIDE MEMBERS, EACH OF SAID SIDE MEMBERS HAVING A SPINE PORTION EXTENDING INTEGRALLY FROM AND ALONG EACH OF A PAIR OF CORRESPONDING EDGES THEREOF OPPOSITE THE SLEEVE OPENING, A FIRST SAID SPINE PORTION HAVING FOLDS ALONG LINES PARALLEL WITH SAID SIDE EDGES TO FORM A GENERALLY U-SHAPED CHANNEL PORTION HAVING A U-BASE AND A U-ARM, AND A SECOND SAID SPINE PORTION HAVING A PORTION FOLDED TO OVERLAP AND EN- 